Very high-order pure Laguerre-Gaussian mode selection in a passive Q-switched Nd:YAG laser

Amiel A. Ishaaya, Nir Davidson, Asher A. Friesem

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Scopus citations

Abstract

An intra-cavity phase clement, combined with a passive Q-switch saturable absorber and a suitable intra-cavity aperture, can provide extremely high mode discrimination, so as to obtain laser operation with single, pure, very high order Laguerre-Gaussian mode. With a Nd:YAG laser setup, well controlled and extremely stable Q-switched operation in the degenerate Laguerre-Gaussian TEM04, TEM14, TEM24, TEM-34, and TEM44 modes was obtained. The measured output energy per pulse for each of these modes was 5.2mJ, 7.5mJ, 10mJ, 12.5mJ, and 13.7mJ respectively, compared to 2.5mJ for the Gaussian mode without the phase element (more than a live fold increase in output energy). Correcting the phase for these modes, so that all transverse lobes have uniform phase, results in a very bright and narrow central lobe in the far field intensity distribution that can theoretically contain more than 90% of the output energy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4952-4962
Number of pages11
JournalOptics Express
Volume13
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - 27 Jun 2005
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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